Members of the UW-Whitewater community joined the Occupy Movement last Thursday to protest the disproportionate gap between the one percent and the 99 percent.

The movement was organized by the UW-Whitewater College Democrats, Forward Whitewater, the student group PEACE and the American Dream movement.

The protests began Thursday afternoon in the south mall between Andersen Library and the University Center.

The rally also held booths, one allowing citizens to sign a petition to recall Gov. Scott Walker, and another informing students of the new voter identification legislation.

The group said they “oppose of corporate influence and wealth disparity.”

James Hartwick, coordinator of the College of Education secondary social studies program, said it’s the students he worries about the most.

“I am just deeply concerned for students as they go out into the world,” Hartwick said. “It’s just really scary.”

Approximately 40 students gathered in the mall to listen to the speakers. State Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, and Reps. Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, and Andy Jorgensen, D-Fort Atkinson, spoke with all who gathered about collective bargaining issues. They also talked of problems facing students, like cuts in education and health care reform.

Bryant Plank, president of the UW-Whitewater College Democrats, said they organized the event to let people know Whitewater citizens can be heard just as much as larger cities like New York.

“We want people to know by doing this Occupy Movement, small cities like Whitewater can accomplish just as much,” Plank said.

About 20 protesters of the Occupy Whitewater Movement stayed the night in tents.

Sam Newton, PEACE president, said she worries that a lot of her students will face extreme poverty after graduating.

Newton said it was good for the community to take part in an Occupy Movement because it brings the problems to light.

“One of the biggest lessons we can have is let’s not be divided,” Hartwick said. “…I’m hoping we can talk to each other.”

A counter rally, sponsored by the UW-Whitewater Republicans, marched toward the Occupy Movement at 5 p.m. to show that some university students stand with Walker.

With them, they carried a cardboard cutout of Walker and many other signs such as “Students for Walker.”

The counter rally stood behind the participants of the Occupy Whitewater movement and offered remarks to the speakers. The rally, however, was cordial with no intervention needed.

Scott Coenen, president of the UW-Whitewater Republicans, lead the protesters across the mall to take a stand.

“We’re here to say UW-Whitewater is different,” Coenen said. “We stand with Scott Walker, we stand with Rep. Evan Wynn, we stand with Republican legislators, and we stand with conservative reforms that they worked hard to pass the last year.”

Coenen said many people think of Whitewater as liberal because of it being a university community, but they hope to show there is a conservative group here as well.

Both democrats and republicans gathered in Hyland Hall’s Timmerman Auditorium to hear Jorgensen speak.

“There are some Republicans here…and I appreciate the respect and the politeness that you’ve shown tonight,” Jorgensen said. “At the end of the day, we may be Republicans and we may be Democrats, but to have one side declare victory over the other and say that’s what it’s all about, well that is not what it is all about. We’re all on the same ship together.”